True story. In February, 2001, back when I was still manager of government relations for the Ontario Medical Association, I had a tough decision to make. Premier Mike Harris was about to shuffle his cabinet, and rumour had it that Jim Flaherty, MPP for the riding of Whitby-Ajax -- was in the running for the health portfolio.

The dilemma I faced was a simple one: Should I just purchase the usual two tickets to Jim’s upcoming fundraiser? Or should I purchase 10 tickets, just in case Harris did go ahead and make him minister of health?

I called the Whitby-Ajax Progressive Conservative Riding Association and told them we’d be taking two tickets for sure, but that if Jim suddenly became important to us by being named health minister, we’d take another eight.

As fate would have it, Harris made Jim minister of finance and deputy premier a few days later. Needless to say, we went ahead and purchased 10 tickets to his fundraiser, which I attended a couple of weeks later, along with the OMA’s CEO and eight doctor lobbyists.

While waiting in line for a drink, a familiar voice whispered in my ear: “I’m glad to see you still think I’m important.”

I turned around and there was that familiar smile. Jim told me he happened to be standing there when I’d called the riding association with my rather unusual ticket request and had overheard the conversation. We both had a good laugh over it.

Another true story. A few years earlier -- it was either 1998 or 1999 -- following a full day of lobbying and schmoozing, I was visiting the Saturday evening hospitality suites at a PC Party convention somewhere in Ontario. I was exhausted and ready for bed, but knew I couldn’t call it a day until I’d flown the flag in every hospitality suite.

I entered what, by my calculations, was the tenth and final suite where I’d have to show my face for the night, when I heard some familiar voices singing a very familiar song. I made my way through the crowd and there, in the middle of the room, was Jim Flaherty -- along with a couple of other MPPs -- singing ‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’.

Not quite the three tenors, but pretty good nonetheless.

Two weeks ago -- Wednesday, April 9 to be exact -- I was at Queen’s Park once again, visiting Jim Flaherty’s wife, Christine Elliott. Christine had replaced Jim as the MPP for Whitby-Ajax in 2006, after he’d resigned his seat to run federally for Stephen Harper’s Conservatives in the riding of Whitby-Oshawa.

A doctor friend of mine wanted to discuss a couple of healthcare-related issues with Christine, who in addition to being deputy leader of the PC Party is also the party’s health critic. We had a wonderful visit and agreed to stay in touch.

When our meeting ended, I asked Christine how Jim was doing, and whether or not he’d decided what he was going to do next. She told me he was doing great, and that he hadn’t made up his mind just yet which offer to take.

As I turned to go, I said to Christine: “Have Jim give me a call. I’m working on a couple of projects he might be interested in.”

The doctor and I then made our way down the hall to the other end of the building, where we were due for our next meeting.

The next day -- Thursday, April 10 -- I emailed a couple of clients in the morning, letting them know I’d met with Christine Elliott, and that I’d hopefully be getting a phone call from Jim Flaherty in the next few days.

That phone call, sadly, won’t be coming.

-- Stephen Skyvington is the President of PoliTrain Inc. He can be heard every Saturday at 1 p.m. on CFRB Newstalk Radio 1010. Follow him on Twitter @SSkyvington.